Candidates: remember that interviews are two-way streets

A few weeks ago, a colleague’s daughter walked away from a potential new job that looked like the perfect fit – on paper. The interview process was demanding and while this well-qualified fortysomething had no objection to her prospective employer being thorough, she felt a sense of disquiet about the company from the off that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

Telling herself she was seeing a problem where none existed, she began jumping through the hiring hoops. As things progressed, however, it became clear that her reservations were well-founded.

In effect, the company was treating her as a consultant not as a candidate during the selection process and the penny finally dropped when she was asked to do what amounted to a strategic review on a topic unrelated to the position she was applying for. She withdrew in haste and is still wondering if the job actually existed or if she was the victim of cynical manipulation.

In any business situation, there are politics at play and overconfident behaviour may be seen as a potential threat

When applying for a job, it’s natural to assume that the employer holds all the aces. But if this upsetting experience teaches us anything, it’s that it’s not a one-way street. Hiring managers are trained to be on the lookout for red flags at interview, but prospective candidates also need to be red-flag savvy and alert to the signs that an employer (or the job) isn’t what it seems to be.

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Warning signs that should make a candidate stop and think include not being offered the chance to ask questions, ghosting, repeated cancelling or rescheduling of appointments, pressure to accept the job, an interviewer whose attitude or comments are disrespectful, biased or in poor taste, a reticence to provide adequate information about the company or the job, or a job that turns out to be widely different from the one advertised.

To some extent, online recruiting has made it much harder to “read” a company’s true intentions from a distance and this is why seasoned job hunters say it’s important to push for a face-to-face meeting with one’s prospective boss at some point in the process. With no screen in between, it’s easier to pick up subtleties about the employer, the personalities at play and the prevailing atmosphere which reveals a lot about an organisation’s culture. In short, when all of the dots are joined, are these my kind of people?

Assuming they are, and you desperately want the job, it’s crucial not to blow it at the interview. Even well-rehearsed, well prepared candidates can get it wrong and make a bad impression.

Dr Ryne Sherman, chief science officer at US-based Hogan Assessments, which helps companies use personality evaluation to identify candidates with skills and values that align with theirs, says a common mistake made by interviewees is being too forceful in terms of trying to impress with how clever or how confident they are.

“This can be quite off-putting and it’s also worth remembering that, in any business situation, there are politics at play and overconfident behaviour may be seen as a potential threat,” he says.

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Hogan works in the background with about 75 per cent of the Fortune 500 companies, and Sherman says its aim is to use scientific methodologies to promote fair and objective hiring.

“Everyone thinks they’re a great judge of people. The divorce statistics would suggest otherwise,” he says, adding that the three most common “derailers” at interview are failing to ask questions upfront, camouflaging weaknesses and flaunting strengths and overegging it when talking about one’s hobbies and personal interests.

“Traditionally, candidates wait until the last 10 minutes to ask the important questions whereas they should take advantage of the opportunity to be more proactive with good questions from the start,” he says. “Doing so will directly showcase their cultural and functional fit, ultimately leading to a better shot at landing the position while also helping the candidate to see how well the position fits them and their career goal timeline.”

Being asked about one’s strengths and weaknesses are “high-stakes questions that can make or break an interview”, says Sherman, adding that most hiring managers only want to know three things about a potential candidate’s strengths: “Do they have the self-awareness to reflect on their performance in the workplace? Do they have concrete (measurable, if possible) proof to back up those claims? And how have these qualities prepared them for success in the role?

“When it comes to weaknesses, interviewers are also looking for self-awareness within a candidate, but also for honesty and a willingness to improve,” says Sherman who is a personality psychologist by profession and the co-host of the Science of Personality podcast.

As interviews draw to a close and the conversation turns to outside interests, candidates often relax. However, Sherman’s advice is not to become too casual and give in to the temptation to gild the lily to make oneself seem more interesting.

“Honesty is just as important in questions about hobbies as it is about work experience or skills,” he says. “Getting caught in a lie devalues the interview and a person’s overall credibility. For many interviewers, if a candidate is willing to lie about small things like their personal interests, it may call other areas, such as their skills, achievements, and experience into question.

“To avoid this, find a unique way to spin the hobbies you participate in, even if you don’t believe they are particularly exciting.”